Explosive bomb for aerial work.



J. RAPP.

EXPLOSI'YE BOMB FOR AERIAL WO'RK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. I917.

Patented Jm14,1919.

attozmu;

I. RAPP.

EXPLOSIVE BOMB FOR AERIAL WORK.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6. I917. 685

JOSEPH RAPP, 0F MARYSVILLE, WASHINGTON.

EXPLOSIVE BOMB FOR AERIAL WORK.

Application filed June 16, 1917.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn RAPP, a citizen of" the United States, andresident of Marysville, Snohomish county, State of lVashington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Bombs forAerial \Vork, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to firing heads for explosive containers andconsists of certain improvements therein which are designed to improvethe action of such devices and particularly in the line of delayedaction upon entering water or similar substances.

The object of my invention is to provide a detonating device which maybe attached to bombs, and like explosive containers, which will, withcertainty, fire them upon contact with any resisting object, or after ithas penetrated water for a given distance.

My invention comprises the novel features and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out bythe claims. In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown the same as I nowprefer to construct them.

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa bomb having my head attached thereto,said bomb being of the type which is adapted for discharging from airplanes or balloons.

Fig. 2 shows the firing head in section and attached to the explosivecontainers.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the portion of the firing head which receivesthe detonating cap, a part thereof being broken away.

Fig. 4 shows the manner of carrying or holding the firing head. whiledetached from the bomb.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the firing head with the air cylinder insection.

In the drawings 1 represents a casing or container which is designed tohold the explosives being used. This is provided with a neck 10 at itsupper end which may be provided with any kind of closure, whethertemporary or permanent, through which the explosives are introduced tothe container 1.

As herein shown, the main body 1' of the case is provided at its lowerend with a base 11 which is fixedly secured to the main body, as bybeing soldered or brazed thereto. This base 11 is provided with athreaded neck 12. at its lower side. by which the firing head may besecured in place thereon. It is also provided with a central opening towhich is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Serial No. 175,147.

secured a cylindrical upwardly extending tubular case 2 which projectswithin the casing and which has over the same a cap 3. This cap 3 has anupper reduced section 30, and a lower enlarged section or flange 31. Thelower section 31 is of such size as to fit snugly over the tube 2. Itis, however, not fixedly secured in place. The depending flange whichforms the enlarged section 31, has a series of slots 32 therein, sodisposed so that if this member 3 is raised, free com munication will beestablished between the space within this member 3 and the chamber whichcontains the explosives.

The firing head employs a metal base 4, which is threaded to screw uponthe base 11 of the explosive container. It also has secured thereto acylinder 5 which constitutes an air cylinder, within which is placed apiston (i. This piston has the firing pin 60 secured thereto andprojecting through a hole in the upper end of the cylinder. The hole inthe base 4, which makes free communication between the cylinder 5 andthe pneumatic chamber beneath it, is of slightly less diameter than thecylinder, so that the piston is supported by the edges of this hole asupon a ledge.

Upon the upper end or head of the cylinder 5 is secured a cup-likemember 7,,wl1ich serves as a means for locating and holding thedetonating cap. This detonating cap is in the form of a cup 72 havingthe detonating material 71 in the bottom thereof. This is, however. atthe top, or closed end, as it is positioned in Fig. 2. This detonatingcap also has holes 70 in its shell which may be normally covered by theedges of the cap 7. The firing pin 60 projects into the space inclosedby this detonating cap. If the firing pin be driven upwardly it willcome in contact with the detonating material and fire the same. Thiswill cause the cap 3 to be raised and will open communication throughthe holes 70 in the cap 7 and the slots 32 in the cap 3 to the explosivecontainer in the main body of the bomb.

To prevent accidental forcing upward of the firing pin, I employ a lockpin 8, which is supported in the head -'t of the firing head and whichpasses through an opening in the wall of the cylinder 5 in such positionthat when the piston 6 is down the pin 8 will be placed just above thepiston. This lock or safety pin 8, is screw threaded in place and may bewithdrawn when itis desired to use the bomb.

1' provide a pneumatic chamber beneath the main frame or base 4, of thefiring head, which chamber is so constructed as to be collapsible, asfor instance, by using rubber or impervious fabric for the wallsthereof. I also prefer to provide a disk or plate 91 in the lower sidethereof and to hold this spaced from the base plate 4, as by springs 90.

\Vhen a bomb of this kind is dropped and comes in contact with anyresisting object, the main body of the bomb is forced toward the plate91, which compresses the air contained in this chamber. This air hasfree access through the hole 93 with the cylinder 5 and .will,therefore, force the piston up and cause the firing pin to contact withthe detonating material. v The detonation of the material contained inthe cap 7 will cause this, as well as the cap 3, to be raised and openfiring cou'ununication with the main body of the explosives contained inthe casing 1.

I have shown the fabric 9, which forms the wall of the air chamber, asbeing secured in place upon the base 1 by means of a cord or wire 9.which compresses the edges of the fabric in a slight peripheraldepression formed in the base i. The upper end of the bomb is preferablyprovided with a hemispherical bowl-shaped member 14, which acts toretard the bomband thus to insure that it will fall right end first. Ihave also shown the case as provided with a handle 13 by which it may betransported.

Fig. -l shows the manner of holding the parts of the firing head inshape before attaclnuent to the case. At this time the cylinder 5 isremoved and a handle 55, which has two threaded sections 56 and 57.. isscrewed into the threaded holes 92 and 93. This handle holds the partsproperly spaced.

'hat I claim as my invention is:

1. A firing head for explosive containers comprising a firing pin havinga piston connected therewith to operate it, a compressible gaseouscontainer in operative communication with said piston, and means fornormally maintaining said gaseous containers distended.

2. A firing device for explosive containers, comprising a firing pin, apiston operatively connected with said pin, means for normallyrestraining said pin, a collapsible air container having freecommunication with said piston, and yielding means normally maintainingsaid air container distended.

3. A firing head for explosive containers comprising a base adapted tobe secured to an explosive container, a cylinder and a piston thereincarrying afiring pin, a compressible air container communicating withsaid piston and adapted to be compressed upon striking a resistantobject.

4. A firing head for explosive containers comprising a base adapted tobe secured to an explosive container, a cylinder and a piston thereincarrying a firing pin, said cylinder carrying means for holdingadetonator. a compressible air container communicating .with said pistonand adapted to be compressed upon striking a resistant object.

5. The combination with an explosive con tainer provided with means forsecuring a firing head thereto, and also having a recess in its bottomfor the reception. of a detonating charge, a firing head havingcomplemental securing means, and a piston having means for applying adetonator thereto to hold said detonator within said recess in theexplosive container, a firing pin carried by the piston and adapted toenter the detonator, and a collapsible air-container communicating withthe piston and placed to be compressed on striking an object.

, Signed at Marysville, Vashington, this 9th day of June, 1917.

JOSEPH RAPP.

